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ScorecardAdam Rossington cut loose to rapidly build Northamptonshire’s lead•Getty Images

A career-best 138 not out from Adam Rossington has put Northamptonshire in a position to push for their first win of the season in the Specsavers County Championship.Rossington, who was playing as a specialist batsman because of an injury to his left hand, hit five sixes and 16 fours in an impressive display to help his side establish a first innings lead of 300 against Sussex at Arundel.They declared on 478 for 5 but Sussex openers Ed Joyce and Chris Nash successfully negotiated 24 hours before stumps to reach 70 without loss, still 230 behind with a day to go.The experienced pair adopted a risk-free approach against attacking fields with Nash unbeaten on 36 and Joyce 28 not out.Rossington had earlier helped Northants speed towards their declaration 25 minutes after tea on the third day in an unbroken stand of 199 in 39 overs with wicketkeeper David Murphy, a sixth wicket county record against Sussex, beating the 178 by Rob Bailey and David Ripley at Northampton in 1990.The former Middlesex batsman was particularly savage on legspinner Luke Wells, hitting him for four sixes before swiping Ajmal Shahzad over the long-on rope. Murphy gave him good support with an unbeaten 60 as batting conditions eased on a pitch lacking pace.Sussex had a glimmer of hope just after lunch when they reduced Northants to 279 for 5, but on a wicket offering their seam attack little margin for error they failed to make the most of the second new ball as Rossington grew in confidence.The day had started well for Sussex. Ollie Robinson drew Alex Wakely with his first ball of the second day and had the Northants’ skipper caught behind, but the visitors regained the initiative in a punishing fourth-wicket alliance of 119 in 27.3 overs between Rob Keogh and debutant Sean Terry.Former Hampshire batsman Terry, who is on non-contract terms, improved his chances of a permanent deal by scoring 54 only to give it away just before lunch when he hit Harry Finch to deep midwicket.Keogh batted well for his 75, compiled in just under three hours with 11 fours, only to lose concentration just after lunch when he tamely prodded forward to Shahzad and was caught behind.Northamptonshire’s lead was 101 at that point but Rossington and Murphy extended it impressively during the afternoon session.

Manchester City are thought to be leading Real Madrid in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, according to ESPN.

What’s the latest Man City news on Bellingham?

Bellingham appears to be a man in real demand heading into the summer window, with City seemingly real admirers of the England international. Reports back in February claimed that those at the Etihad Stadium were starting talks over a move for the 19-year-old and were thought to be the frontrunners at the time.

Since then, there has been speculation of a midfielder leaving Manchester over the coming months, with Ilkay Gundogan reportedly having his heart set on joining Barcelona.

Bellingham and Florian Wirtz have been marked as potential replacements for Gundogan, and it looks as if there is a positive feeling around the Etihad at a move for the former of the two Bundesliga midfielders.

ESPN shared an update regarding Bellingham’s situation in the last 48 hours after it emerged that Premier League rivals Liverpool had backed away from a transfer.

They stated that City are leading the race for the player and are ‘growing increasingly confident’ they can get a deal done. Dortmund haven’t given up hope of keeping the Englishman for a further 12 months, with any move away likely to cost more than £130m, which would be a club record at the Etihad.

Haaland to help Man City sign Bellingham?

City have reaped the rewards of signing a star player from Borussia Dortmund last summer in Erling Haaland, with the striker scoring an incredible 45 times in 39 games so far this season.

The 22-year-old knows Bellingham well following his time at Dortmund, and there had been speculation that he has told the midfielder to join City, so he could be in his former teammates' ear once again over the coming months.

A new central midfielder is seemingly needed in Pep Guardiola’s squad, especially as City would be without a central midfielder if Gundogan departs this summer. They have a number of defensive and attacking midfielders, so Bellingham, primarily a central midfielder, could be an excellent addition in both the short and long term.

Described as a “superstar” by Roy Keane, Bellingham appears to have everything in his game, contributing to 17 goals this season and topping Dortmund’s charts for match rating and tackles made per 90, as per WhoScored. It could set back City a record transfer fee, but it looks as if they are keen and confident of winning the race.

Aston Villa continued their excellent recent form with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest which has moved the club into the dizzying heights of sixth place in the Premier League table – an arguably unthinkable thought when Unai Emery took over last year.

Villa dominated the first half, having 69% possession, yet they couldn’t find a breakthrough, and it was 0-0 heading into the half-time interval.

Leon Bailey had to be substituted during the first half due to injury and Bertrand Traore replaced him. He was the match-winning hero against Leicester City in midweek, and it didn’t take him long to score again, netting just after the break.

Ollie Watkins sealed the victory in the dying minutes and the club are clearly enjoying themselves right now. Traore, clearly thriving in confidence, also managed three shots in total, was fouled twice and lost possession just four times in another solid performance, although it was perhaps another Villa star who made sure all three points were secured in defender Tyrone Mings.

How did Tyrone Mings perform against Nottingham Forest?

The defender has been excellent since Emery arrived at Villa Park, going from strength to strength and helping the club keep seven clean sheets since returning to domestic duty after the World Cup.

Mings was once again outstanding today following his solid display against the Foxes on Tuesday night, winning two of his three duels and making six clearances – and the quick turnaround clearly didn’t affect him this afternoon.

The 30-year-old took 95 touches during the match, suggesting he was comfortable on the ball and wanted to start attacks from the heart of the defence, while achieving a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10, ranking him as the second-highest outfield player behind goalscorer Watkins.

The English titan was rock solid at the back, making two interceptions, one clearance and winning six out of his seven duels, failing to let Forest gain any sort of foothold in the game and nullifying their attacking options.

He was also successful with six of his nine long ball attempts and completed an impressive 88% of his total passes, and Emery surely now has one of the finest English centre-backs in the Premier League at his disposal.

His performance was integral to yet another win for Villa, and even though the likes of Watkins and Traore will get all the headlines, we think Mings’ incredible defensive display should be equally praised.

Tottenham Hotspur are yet to enter ‘serious discussions’ about Antonio Conte’s future and the ‘monumental’ job at hand may scare off some managers, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Conte to leave?

Conte’s contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and while reports once claimed he’d held talks with the Tottenham hierarchy about extending his stay, there is now said to be a good chance that he leaves in the summer.

As such, Daniel Levy has commenced the process of finding a replacement, with it recently being reported that the chairman is struggling in his attempts to convince the ‘fantastic’ former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to take the job.

It has also been revealed that the Spurs board ‘will consider’ Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, while fans have been left fuming by the reports claiming Marco Silva is the main contender to replace the Italian.

The Latest: Bridge’s update

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Bridge detailed that Tottenham are yet to hold any crunch talks about their manager’s future, while the likes of Tuchel may not fancy such a major rebuild.

The reporter said: “The squad needs a real rebuild, but again, you’ve got doubts over the manager, you’ve got doubts over the director of football, you’ve got doubts over the club captain Hugo Lloris, and you’ve got doubts over one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane. So there’s no doubt about it, it’s going to be such a monumental summer for the football club.

“Thomas Tuchel might look at it and think, ‘It’s too much for me to do it.’ I think he would be one name on a long list if and when the discussion comes but, to my knowledge, there’s been no sort of serious discussions on his [Conte’s] future as of yet. Whether that changes as we come to maybe April, we’ll see.”

The Verdict: Should Conte stay?

After leading the Lilywhites to a fourth-place finish last season, the 53-year-old has been unable to build on the foundations laid, recently crashing out of both the Champions League and FA Cup at the round of 16 stage.

It has not been the easiest season for the Lecce-born coach on a personal level, requiring gallbladder surgery a little over a month ago, which meant Cristian Stellini had a prolonged spell in the dugout.

As such, while Tottenham are still well on track to secure Champions League football again, currently sitting in fourth place, it may be best for all parties if they mutually part ways at the end of the season.

If Conte is to depart, Tuchel would be a very exciting appointment, given his proven track record of success during spells with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Manchester United head into Sunday’s Premier League encounter with bitter rivals Liverpool following what has been a potentially season-defining week for Erik ten Hag’s side, with the in-form outfit having enjoyed success in all three cup competitions in the space of just six days.

The most recent triumph over David Moyes’ West Ham United saw the Red Devils overcome a shaky start to produce a stunning late finale at the Theatre of Dreams, with a Nayef Aguerd own goal drawing the hosts level following Said Benrahma’s opener, before late strikes from both Alejandro Garnacho and fellow South American star, Fred clinched progression into the quarter-final stage.

With a mouthwatering meeting at Anfield now on the horizon, United will now be looking to keep pace with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City at the summit, with there still lingering hope that Ten Hag’s men can be in with a shout of clinching the title come May.

One possible concern for the Old Trafford giants will be the doubts surrounding the fitness of defender Luke Shaw, with the England international having sat out the win over the Hammers with what his manager described as a “small injury”.

Despite that potential blow, however, the 27-year-old’s positional rival Tyrell Malacia more than staked his claim for a starting berth on Merseyside following what was a “magnificent performance” on Wednesday evening, in the words of Statman Dave.

Will Malacia play against Liverpool?

The £14.7m summer arrival has largely had to play second fiddle to teammate Shaw in recent months – having started just ten league games all season – although the 23-year-old showcased that he is up for the fight against the Irons, having been a typically tenacious presence at left-back.

The £75k-per-week “pitbull” – as previously lauded by ex-United boss Louis van Gaal – notably won eight of his nine duels on the night from his defensive berth, including recording seven tackles, having also made five interceptions and contributed four clearances as a marker of his defensive prowess.

The 78-touch machine also completed 100% of his total dribbles and committed just one foul, with the diminutive gem having regularly shown great determination to get ahead of his man in order to win back possession cleanly.

There was undoubtedly some erratic moments in an attacking sense from the Dutchman – as he fired an errant cross high and wide late on – although it is hard to ignore his contribution defensively, with the six-cap ace’s committed display seeing him earn a 7.7 match rating, as per Sofascore.

Such doggedness will no doubt be needed up against the likes of Mohamed Salah this weekend, albeit with Malacia having proven in the reverse fixture that he can be more than a match for the Egyptian, as he ‘defended stoutly’ on what was an ‘encouraging full debut’ back in August, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

That performance – in which the former Feyenoord man won six duels – should provide encouragement that the Rotterdam native can again thrive this time around if he is given the nod against Jurgen Klopp’s men, with Shaw’s injury having provided the 5 foot 7 menace the chance to nail down a regular role moving forward.

TalkSport’s Alan Brazil believes that Antonio Conte will leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer and be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Spurs struggling for consistency

Tottenham have been in and out of good form this season, having picked up points against the champions last weekend and progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League, yet they find themselves sitting outside of the top four.

Due to this form, there has constantly been talk about Conte’s future and how he is seemingly unwilling to sign an extended deal that would keep him in north London for the foreseeable future.

If that is to be the case, Daniel Levy will surely already have candidates in mind from which to appoint a successor come the summer if Conte does leave – and someone who’s been linked with a return is Pochettino.

The Latest: Pochettino backed to replace Conte

Brazil has been speaking on TalkSport about how Pochettino will replace Conte this summer, but claimed no matter who the manager is, Levy must hand the man in charge a decent transfer budget.

He said: “I’ve been disappointed with Spurs, but you look at the table, you look at what they’re left in, and I’ve just said I think they can overcome Milan in London, I do. I think they can go through to the next round.

“I’ll say it again, that I’m told that he’s probably going to leave and Poch will come in, but whoever comes in has got to have money to improve – especially the midfield.”

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The Verdict: May be difficult to improve Tottenham

While it is easy for Brazil to say Spurs have to spend money this summer on players and improve their midfield, things may well have just got far more complicated, as Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is now reportedly readying a £3.1bn takeover of Tottenham.

This could make Spurs’ situation seem less clear in terms of how much money will be made available if ENIC and Levy were to leave in the near future, as well as who the new owners may want as manager.

No matter who the manager or owner is in the summer, though, at least one new midfielder surely has to be brought in, as in midweek, Conte had no choice but to hand Champions League debuts to Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr, which shows how desperate they are for reinforcements in that particular area.

Newcastle United were offered Jorginho during the January transfer window before his eventual departure on deadline day.

What’s the latest?

The Toon did not bring in any midfielders over the course of the January transfer window but it seems as if there were some options potentially on their radar.

Eddie Howe’s side were linked with the likes of Sander Berge over the final days of the window and it is believed they held an interest in Conor Gallagher.

Adding to their desire to bring in a new midfielder, Howe saw the 30-year-old, Jonjo Shelvey, leave the club for Nottingham Forest.

But speaking on the True Faith podcast, journalist Craig Hope has claimed they were offered the new Arsenal midfielder, Jorginho, by his intermediaries.

He said: “Jorginho was offered to them, again, by intermediaries. Now, there was people within the club who I think were for the Jorginho deal – they saw the sense in it.

“I don’t think Eddie was. Just didn’t think he had the legs to get around in terms of that sort of high-energy pressing style he wants from his midfielders.”

Missing out on experience?

The Italian is a player who would certainly have been able to arrive on Tyneside and provided an awful lot of experience at the highest level to Howe’s midfield.

Jorginho has racked up trophies.

However, it appears as if this is a player who Howe was not keen to bring to St. James’ Park.

Although Bruno Guimaraes has provided the Toon with more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, the Italian has offered more tackles and passes per 90 minutes (via FBref).

So perhaps this is a player who could have come into Newcastle and provided them with another option as a holding midfielder following Shelvey’s departure.

And he is a player who has been on the end of some big praise from the likes of Jose Mourinho who had the following to say back in 2019:

“For me, Jorginho is the best midfielder in Europe. The way he controls the game, how he recycles the ball in the transitions between attack and defence. His ability on the ball when he is under pressure is amazing.”

However, he would have done so on a big weekly salary of £110k which would have seen him become one of the highest earners at the club.

And it seems as if the Italian did not exactly impress in the 31-minute appearance at Goodison Park with journalist Sean Walsh only awarding him with a 5/10 rating after the game.

Given this was a position that Newcastle were keen to strengthen last month, it does show the trust put in Howe’s judgement when there were others inside the club who would have approved the potential deal.

Sean Dyche looks to be one of the favourites to take over from Frank Lampard at Everton and the former Burnley boss could be exactly what the Toffees need right now.

The Merseyside club’s last win came on October 1st and unsurprisingly they find themselves in yet another relegation battle after years of mismanagement both on and off the pitch.

There will be a number of candidates who Farhad Moshiri will be considering as Lampard’s successor but if they are to have any hope of staying in the Premier League they need a manager with experience in relegation battles.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Dyche is one of the main candidates, given his vast experience with keeping Burnley in the top flight on a low budget, before he was eventually sacked last season, with the Clarets eventually succumbing to the drop.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, Pete O’Rourke shared his views on a potential Everton move for Dyche.

He said:

“Well if they can’t get Marcelo Bielsa, I think Sean Dyche would be a great alternative.

“Obviously, different styles of football and methods of football but I think Sean Dyche proved at Burnley he can get the best out of what he is working with as he did at Burnley on a low budget. He ensured they stayed in the Premier League for a number of seasons as well.

“Although people might say the style of football isn’t pretty, it is effective. I think that’s what Everton need right now. They need someone to come in and have an immediate impact, making Everton organised and hard to beat. To get them picking up points and moving away from trouble.”

During Dyche’s spell at Turf Moor, he would take charge of 425 games, averaging a solid 1.24 points per game, which included a title-winning campaign in the Championship and multiple years of overachievement with the Lancashire side, which was labelled “phenomenal” by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta last year.

Lampard would average just one point per game during his 44 matches in charge at Goodison Park and therefore, Dyche could be a big upgrade from that perspective and hopefully deliver the form needed to keep Everton in the Premier League.

He is certainly a lower-risk option than the likes of Bielsa, who would perhaps struggle to implement his desired style of play in such a short period of time, so Moshiri should definitely be considering a serious approach for the 51-year-old in the next few days.

Arsenal could well be considering making a move for Crystal Palace starlet Michael Olise this summer, with the high-flying Gunners having been named as a potential suitor for the promising youngster.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, with journalist Sami Mokbel reporting that the north Londoners are one of the clubs currently ‘monitoring’ the 21-year-old, ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season.

The report suggests, however, that the Eagles will ‘not entertain’ the notion of losing both the French youth international and teammate Wilfried Zaha this summer, with the latter man yet to commit his future to the club with just six months remaining on his existing deal.

The piece also adds that Palace removed a £35m buy-out clause from Olise’s contract last year, ensuring that prising the playmaker from Selhurst Park could prove far tougher for Gunners sporting director, Edu.

Fabio Vieira upgrade

The former Reading ace has made a rather smooth transition to life in the Premier League since his £8m switch back in the summer of 2021, having already chipped in with 18 goals and assists in 52 games across all fronts for his current side to date.

That includes a haul of two goals and four assists in the top flight in the 2022/23 campaign thus far, with the highly-rated “baller” – as described by journalist Muhammad Butt – having notably produced a moment of magic in the draw at home to Manchester United earlier this week.

The £45k-per-week maestro stepped up in stoppage time to equalise for Patrick Vieira’s men, doing so in stunning fashion with a sensational, dipping free-kick that evaded the sprawling David De Gea.

Not only did that masterful set piece catch the eye, but so too did Olise’s nonchalant celebration in the aftermath, having arguably showcased just why he could well be destined to “play at the very highest levels of the game”, according to Butt.

Should Edu and co opt to bring the London-born dynamo to the Emirates any time soon, he could well prove a notable upgrade on summer arrival, Fabio Vieira, with the Portuguese midfielder currently struggling to make his mark in English football.

The 23-year-old has thus far failed to warrant his rather hefty £34m price tag after scoring just once and laying on only one assist in the league this term, having notably endured an “absolute howler” of a performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, in the words of GOAL’s Charles Watts.

The former Porto man’s woes are also laid bare by his struggles in possession of late as he ranks in just the bottom 27% in Europe among those in his position for dribbles completed, while that man Olise ranks in the top 19% in that regard.

Equally, the Palace sensation also appears to offer far more defensively as he ranks in the top 3% for blocks made and the top 14% for tackles made, while Vieira only ranks in the bottom 1% and the bottom 11% for the same two metrics respectively.

That should indicate that even though the new addition has only been in the door for a matter of months, Mikel Arteta’s side could secure a playmaking upgrade by winning the race for Olise this summer.

Rangers’ transfer budget in the January transfer window might not be enough to facilitate an overhaul, according to Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ situation

Michael Beale’s side currently sit nine points behind leaders Celtic at the top of the SPFL after they were unable to hang onto three points in the Old Firm Derby on Monday.

Their league position and question marks over the squad have left the club in a predicament where they will surely have to allow Beale to make wholesale changes to close the gap to their Glasgow rivals.

The Latest: Walker’s concerns

It seems that the Gers will be in a situation where they will have to wait until the summer to overhaul the squad according to Walker, who questioned on The Go Radio Football Show Podcast, what Rangers actually had the finances available to do this month.

(51:31) “I don’t know what money Rangers have available because every former Rangers player I speak to says that the squad needs an overhaul or transformation, you know, some big numbers coming in, some real options and that costs a bit of money and I’m not sure how much Rangers have to spend.”

The Verdict: Summer the priority

Despite their current position and Beale’s form in charge which saw them only drop the first points of his reign against Celtic, considerable backing in January looks unlikely.

Alongside the potentially cash-strapped approach to the window, Rangers have key issues with both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos’ contracts to attend to, as well as the future of Malik Tillman who is set to also leave the club at the end of the season.

The summer gives a chance for those three crucial players’ futures to be sorted out and therefore give a bigger scope on where the priorities of an upcoming window lay.

The return of Ianis Hagi from injury potentially by the end of February at the latest, according to GlasgowLive, leaves spending potentially beyond their means to close a nine-point gap to a side that have only dropped five all season, surely not something the Gers will approve.